Colorimetric method for Salmonella spp. detection based on peroxidase-like activity of Cu(II)-rGO nanoparticles and PCR

Abstract Development of a rapid and sensitive method for Salmonella spp. detection is of great importance for ensuring food product safety due to its low infective dose. In this study, a colorimetric method based on the peroxidase-like activity of Cu(II)-modified reduced graphene oxide nanoparticles (Cu2+-rGO NPs) and PCR was successfully developed to detect Salmonella spp. in milk. Under optimal conditions, the developed colorimetric method exhibited high sensitivity and strong specificity for Salmonella spp. detection. The limit of detection was 0.51 CFU/mL with a linear range from 1.93×101 to 1.93×105 CFU/mL. A specificity study demonstrated that this method can specifically distinguish Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis from other foodborne pathogens. The application of the proposed method for milk sample detection was also validated, and the recovery rates of S. typhimurium in spiked milk sample ranged from 102.84% to 112.25%. This colorimetric sensor exhibits enormous potential for highly sensitive detection of bacteria in milk sample.